NATIONAL BRIEFING | SOUTH; South Carolina: Bill Will Require Offer of Ultrasound Images Before Abortion

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Published: April 18, 2008

A bill awaiting the South Carolina governor's signature would require abortion providers to ask women whether they want to see ultrasound images of their fetuses before the procedure. As part of a legislative compromise, women must wait at least an hour after seeing an ultrasound to have an abortion. The governor, Mark Sanford, a Republican, has said he supports the bill generally but will review its specifics before deciding whether to sign it. Also, in Oklahoma, the Legislature voted to override Gov. Brad Henry's veto of a bill that would require doctors to perform an ultrasound on a woman planning an abortion. Mr. Henry, a Democrat, said he thought it was ''unconscionable'' to require victims of rape and incest to undergo an ultrasound.